A Herculaneum scroll has been read for the first time

4 hours ago

Researchers have successfully read an entire Herculaneum scroll (PHerc. 1667) without physically opening it by using advanced digital techniques like high-resolution X-ray scanning and machine learning to detect ink on carbonized papyrus.
The text recovered from Scroll 4 is a philosophical treatise on ethics, likely Stoic in origin, dating to the 2nd century BC, and includes references to figures like Aristocreon, though parts are fragmented due to damage.
Two other scrolls, PHerc. Paris 4 and PHerc. 139, also yielded significant results: Scroll 1 confirmed ink visibility with higher-resolution imaging, while Scroll 3 revealed a title and author attribution, identifying it as Philodemus' 'On Gods, Book 8.'
The methodology involved collaboration with the National Library of Naples and the use of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility for X-ray microtomography, with all data, code, and findings made openly available for verification and further research.
This breakthrough was facilitated by the Vesuvius Challenge, an open-science initiative that engaged a global community, leading to contributions from international contestants who later joined the research team, demonstrating the power of collaborative, transparent efforts.
Hundreds of other sealed Herculaneum scrolls remain to be read, offering potential insights into ancient literature and philosophy, with the scalable method now established and accessible for continued exploration by scholars and the public alike.

Hasty Briefsbeta